Keep On, Keeping On

By Ricky Atkinson: Sadly, I am packing for a move back to Vancouver so that I may go deeper into the reality of who I am.

There is something out there, a piece of wood, a lump of clay, a stone that must be picked up and examined, loved, adored and at times hated, as I turn into something so beautiful; some one, somewhere, somehow, would want to buy it, beg for it, steal it so that they can display it to others boasting about it's beauty.

That is art and life of an artist. I wanted to stay here and risk my life at what I love doing, talking to at risk kids in the heart of those communities that helped make me the gangster I was. I always say to them that three learned and esteemed judges said to me, "With your organizational ability, your business acumen and your intellect you could have been anything or anyone you wanted to, but you chose crime and for that reason, I will have no mercy on you!"

All three of those judges’ comments for sentencing are in my file, open to public scrutiny but unknown to those kids, who like me, believed that their destiny was in guns and gangs.

My stay in Toronto this past 18 months was to reach those kids, this government has threatened to destroy me if I continue to help these kids at risk - don't ask me why, there is not rhyme or reason - they said, "We are afraid you may turn those very same kids your trying to help into a gang that will reek havoc on Toronto the good and so the restrictions we place upon you is to ensure us that you can't be an instrument of crime and destruction” - that statement is also open to the public; so I turn once again to my art for a solution and maybe through it can I reach other kids in other places and say to government, "fuck you”.

I can't and wont stop helping save one kid from falling through the cracks of life and ending up killing some other kid or spending his life in prison or in gangs; so I must go and will be gone in less than three weeks; anyone wanting to see me contact me soon.